Excerpt of "Deadly Secrets" - Chapter Two, Part Two

Sophie finally got up. “You must be tired,” she said. “I’ll show you to your room.”
They walked up the steps, and Helena was delighted to find out she was going to stay in her old room. It made her feel she had really come home, and wasn’t just visiting.
Her room hadn’t changed much. Her eyes wandered around the spacious bedroom with the pretty white furniture, the four-post bed, the dresser, the little secretarial desk, and the rocking chair by the French doors which lead to the balcony. Everything was there; even some of her stuffed animals were still decorating the room. Overwhelmed, she looked at her aunt.
Probably guessing what Helena was thinking, Sophie said, “I didn’t want anything changed. I wanted you to find the place just the way you left it when you finally came home.”
Sweet Sophie, Helena thought. She always knew that sooner or later, I would be coming back.
When Sophie left her alone, Helenasat on her bed, lost in her thoughts. So many memories… Her eyes rested on the beautiful painting on thewall—a painting her grandmother, Eleana, had painted. She always loved this portrait of a beautiful, little girl, around the age of seven or eight, standing in a blooming garden with an angel in the background, watching over her from Heaven.
Staring at the painting for the first time through the eyes of an adult, Helena was taken by surprise. She realized how much the girl in the painting resembled her when she was around the same age—the age when she lost her father. Bewildered, she noticed the sadness in the girl’s eyes, and tears came to her own eyes, thinking she probably had the same expression after her father vanished from their lives.
Helena took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to control the turmoil of emotions stirred up inside her by well-buried memories surfacing again.
She stood up, walked over to the French doors, which were open, and stepped outside. Feeling the fresh breeze on her face, she let her eyes roam over the shimmering blue and gold waters stretching in front of her. She leaned against the black railings with the fancy designs she always remembered and let her thoughts take her back in time…
She went back to those happy days, when her father was still alive and her mother was a cheerful young woman in love. Her mind filled with cherished memories of the past. She could almost see her parents walking on the beach, holding hands, and herself—as a little child— running all over the place and splashing in the water.
She could remember the cold winter nights when they would all gather around the stone fireplace to drink hot chocolate and listen to her father telling stories. Her favorite stories were the ones about the voyages of her father and his ancestors. The men of the Sistakis family—like most people on these islands—had spent a big part of their lives at sea.
It was only after her father met her mother that he gave up travelling and became involved in managing the business. He wanted to be with his wife and daughter, so he would spend most of his time on the island and would only go to the main offices in Piraeus whenever it was absolutely necessary. So many memories, so much love… while at the same time, so much pain…
Helena didn’t realize she was crying again until teardrops wet the back of her hands, holding on to the railings. She wiped her face withher hands, and turned around to go inside.
A sudden wave of apprehension washed over her, and she stopped dead in her tracks… she felt like someone was watching her. Cautiously,she scanned her surroundings but didn’t see anyone. She glanced down at the garden and all the way to the edge of the cliff. There was nobody there. However, she could still feel it. She checked around her from side to side, and then she saw him.
It was Dimitris. He was on one of the balconies on the bottom floor farther to her right, wearing tight fitting jeans and a white shirt open low on his chest. Leaning against the railings, he looked just like a mysterious, seductive pirate on the bridge of his ship.
Helena’sbreath caught in her throat. He was irresistibly handsome…and he was watching her intensely. To her surprise, he didn’t even turn his head to pretend he hadn’t seen her. He was just standing there, boldly watching her.
Helena felt her temper rising. Going back inside her bedroom, she slammed the doors shut. It was going to be hot in the room with no air-conditioning, but she didn’t care at this point. She couldn’t believe he was in the house. Who is that man?
The balcony he was on led to one of the bedrooms downstairs. What on earth is he doing there? She was going to have a talk with her aunt and put a stop to this man’s arrogant actions. She was sure Sophie wasn’t aware of him wandering around the house like that.
Trying to put Dimitris out of her mind for now, she walked into her en-suite bathroom. Everything was the same in there, too. Glancing atthe big marble bathtub, she had the urge to sink in it. Without a second thought, she turned the water on and took off her clothes. Sinking into the warm water, the fragrance of roses surrounded her. She lay back, closing her eyes, and felt content and relaxed…
***

I’ll be posting a new section every Tuesday and Friday but if you rather not wait, here are the links to buy the book:
Buy it at Amazon
Buy it at Barnes & Noble